Ever have that feeling that ‘there’s more to life’? That you could be doing more? Or do you keep repeating cycles that lead to the same outcome, unhappy and craving for more?

I’ve been there and I’ve found a way to help you start living with purpose, to find ‘that something else’ and start feeling happier (more satisfied) on a regular basis.

For many of us it’s easy to put ‘finding our purpose’ to the back of our minds, there are so many distractions in life, especially getting distracted by what is expected of us… good grades at school, college and university, working 120% in a job and leaving you no time for yourself, drinking alcohol at any opportunity you need to unwind and relax from a stressful day and saying yes to things because you feel you should. Also taking time out for ourselves can feel selfish and self-indulgent, which for a lot of us makes us feel uncomfortable!

Often we don’t even realise we have these distractions, they just become a normal way of life. But, what happens is that when we do get those quite moments, we start to feel unsatisfied or lost, we start craving for more and the doubting the choices we have made and are continuing to make.

If any of this sounds familiar I suggest the following steps to help you get unstuck and start fulfilling your purpose.

Step 1:

Getting started is to vision your future self, this could be 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, even 20 years from now! It doesn’t matter where you choose to start your vision as long as you take the time out to envisage what your future self is doing, from the perspective of a more fulfilled and happier self.

Consider;

What do you look like? Feel like? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? In your vision are you…

Healthier?

Fitter?

Running up and down mountains?

Living closer to the sea?

Setting up your own business?

In a relationship?

Have kids?

Once you have an idea of what you see your happier future-self doing you have a starting point to live with more purpose and meaning.

Creative ways to help you vision your future self:

• Create a vision or mood board using pictures and images that inspire you.
• Follow a guided meditation.
• Sit quietly imagining your future self, writing down the key things that come up for you.

Step 2:

Now you’re ready to make a decision, the decision that can change everything. Do you really want to become your future-self? Do you want to change? If yes, it’s time to commit to your decision.

How to commit to your decision:

You will need to bring elements, key parts of your vision into your present daily life. For example; if you see your future self as a healthier, fitter version of you then you will need to start taking the actions to create this version of yourself. Do you need to learn how to have a healthier relationship to food? Do you need to learn how to cook healthy meals? Brainstorm ideas of what you can start doing now to move toward your future self and then take action.

Step 3:

Next step is to become accountable.

Learning to be accountable for your day-to-day choices and feelings is going to be essential for you to make the changes you want to make. I’m not saying you have to be strict, I actually prefer a much kinder approach such as; prioritising self-care, surrounding yourself with supportive people, taking one step at a time and celebrating along the way. However, what is key is that unless you do something different on a consistent basis, you will keep getting the same results.

The majority of us will not be able to do this alone – and why would you want too?!

Creative accountability options;

• Setting goals and an action plan
• Hiring a coach
• Joining a coaching group
• Sign-up to a course
• Manifesting
• Take on a big challenge

An additional step that will help you keep on track is to check-in on your progress. Set some dates in your calendar to make time to evaluate how you getting on, are the changes you’ve made leading you closer towards your vision? Where are you feeling satisfied and where are you not?  It’s best to identify along the way what is working and what is not so you can let go of what you thought you wanted and move on to something else that could have more meaning.

Take the time to reflect on your day to day choices and goals if you set them and make sure you are not doing things because you think you should want these things – remember it is easy to be distracted by what is going on around us!

Living with more purpose is about being able to feel a sense of satisfaction day-to-day, not solely relying on the final outcome. The final outcome for most of us will change and adapt with our life experiences. It’s what we do & feel on a daily basis that leads us to be happier, more content and to become the vision of our future self.

Ready to make a change? Get in touch and I’ll happily go-though this process on a personal level tailored to your needs. Email heidi@heidijonescoaching.com